


In the Lair of the Phantom Thief

by Anonymous



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Getting Stuck in the Floor/Ceiling, M/M, Tickling, the obligatory saiouma phantom thief au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-20 22:53:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13727703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: “Neeheehee… What do we have here? I don’t remember installing a detective-shaped chandelier!”Shuichi had figured it was only a matter of time before Kokichi found him, but that didn’t make being discovered in this position any less embarrassing.Stuck…hanging halfway through a ceiling.And he only had himself to blame.





	In the Lair of the Phantom Thief

“Neeheehee… What do we have here? I don’t remember installing a detective-shaped chandelier!”

Shuichi had figured it was only a matter of time before Kokichi found him, but that didn’t make being discovered in this position any less embarrassing.

Stuck…  _hanging halfway through a ceiling._

And he only had himself to blame.

 

**— Earlier That Day —**

It had taken months of investigation, but Shuichi had finally figured out where Kokichi was hiding. Now all that remained was to inform the police and assemble an infiltration team. After that, it would only be a matter of time before the notorious phantom thief was apprehended, and then the entire case would come to a close once and for all.

That thought should have brought the detective comfort, yet all he felt was a pang in his chest.

It was foolish, but he’d allowed himself to become attached. To become far more familiar than any detective should have been with such a prolific criminal. Now it was too late to pretend the case wasn’t personal. Even so, he knew it was his job to uphold justice, and there was simply no avoiding that.

…Then again, wouldn’t it be better to investigate the place himself first? After all, he’d only be wasting everyone’s time if his deductions proved to be incorrect.

That was what the detective told himself as he ventured towards the phantom thief’s lair alone.

 

* * *

 

Once Shuichi knew what to look for, locating Kokichi’s hideout was fairly easy. 

To the public, it appeared to be nothing more than a joke shop dedicated to gag gifts and prank items, nestled inconspicuously among a handful of small businesses. There seemed to be an attic right above the store, though it could simply have been there for extra storage space. If the detective’s deductions were correct, however, all of it was merely a front.

Likely breaking some laws, Shuichi snuck into the store that night after closing, only giving the first floor a cursory glance before heading to the attic. He was immediately met with what seemed to be a makeshift bedroom, complete with a small bed and a desk surrounded by crumpled paper.

Crumpled paper… Wait, could those be blueprints?

Shuichi had only begun to investigate when the wooden boards beneath him suddenly splintered, plunging him back into the lower level. He didn’t fall all the way through, his arms bracing against the unbroken flooring around the newly-formed hole, but everything below his chest was essentially trapped in a different room.

The universe had to be mocking him. 

Nonetheless, it wasn’t long before the detective’s suspicions were confirmed, as the phantom thief himself made his appearance.

 

**— Present Time —**

Sensing that Kokichi was getting too close, Shuichi blindly swung his leg forward to keep the other away, only for Kokichi to grab the offending limb with ease.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. You break into my lair, make a huge hole in my room, and then try to kick me? How rude!” In spite of his words, Kokichi’s tone was clearly one of amusement. “Looks like I’m gonna have to teach you some manners!”

That was the only warning Shuichi got before Kokichi hiked his shirt up as high as it could go.

“H-hey!” Shuichi protested, feeling even more vulnerable than before with his lower torso bared.

“You better not kick me again,” Kokichi cheerfully warned, “or else I’ll leave you stuck here.”

Abruptly reminded of how helpless he actually was, Shuichi forced himself to settle down. Fighting back now would do him no good. Unfortunately, that knowledge only served to heighten his nerves.

“Neeheehee… I knew you were smart!” Kokichi remarked once Shuichi lowered his leg. “Relax. You’re not in any danger. I’d never wanna hurt my _beloved_ Shuichi, after all!”

Shuichi was grateful that Kokichi couldn’t see his face. The mischievous phantom thief surely would have teased him for blushing.

“So… what are you gonna do?“ the detective asked once he was sure his voice was steady.

The thief responded with an exaggerated hum.

 _“Hmmmmmm….._  Well, it’s not every day I get to have you all to myself like this. I think we should play a game!”

A game while he was stuck? Shuichi didn’t like the sound of that one bit.

“What kind of game?” he questioned cautiously.

“Something different from our usual cat and mouse chase! Maybe something like…” Kokichi trailed off, allowing the suspense to build further before finally naming his challenge. “… _Don’t laugh._ ”

Shuichi felt his heart drop to join his body in the lower floor.

Without waiting for an answer, Kokichi fluttered his fingers over Shuichi’s sides, tickling a trail up from his hips to the bottom of his ribcage. He smirked when he heard the detective gasp, making note of how the body before him tensed. 

“Looks like someone’s a little ticklish!Well then, here’s the deal. If you get through this without laughing, I’ll help you out right after!  _Buuuuut,_  if you laugh even once, then there’s gonna be consequences. You got that?” 

Kokichi punctuated the last part with a hard poke, earning a startled squeak in response.

“I’m taking that as a yes! Don’t worry, this won’t take long. I’ll even go nice and slow,  _just for you._ ” 

As if to illustrate this point, Kokichi began to softly tickle the detective. 

He lightly pinched along Shuichi’s sides, eliciting a few flinches, then skittered his nails across the stretch of skin right above Shuichi’s belt. That earned him a good spasm.

Still, the detective managed to stay silent.

“So far, so good!” Kokichi commented playfully.

The thief eventually moved to trace circles along the detective’s lower back, making sure to keep his touch deviously gentle. Soon enough, Shuichi was trembling in an effort to resist the ticklish shivers radiating up his spine.

“Oooh, you’re shaking… Does that mean you like it here?” Kokichi teased. “What about if I do  _this?“_

Without stopping his ministrations on Shuichi’s back, Kokichi leaned forward to press his lips against the detective’s smooth stomach. He lingered there for a moment, relishing their proximity, then proceeded to pepper Shuichi’s belly with kisses.

If Shuichi’s face hadn’t been red before, it definitely was now. Not only was he flustered by the intimacy of the gesture, but the sensation of Kokichi’s lips brushing across his skin was almost overwhelmingly ticklish. He just barely managed to stifle an oncoming fit of giggles.

Unfortunately for Shuichi, all his efforts to keep quiet proved futile in the next second, when Kokichi suddenly blew a puff of air against his navel.

_“Hah!”_

The noise he released was short and strangled, really more of a yelp than a laugh, but it was more than enough for Kokichi. 

“Uh-oh! Guess you lost! You know what that means, right?”

“Wait, that wasn’t fair!”

“It means you’re a loser,” Kokichi carried on, not even acknowledging Shuichi’s outburst. “…and you know what I do to the losers of this game?”

“K-Kokichi, don’t!” Shuichi protested frantically, already certain of what was coming.

“I…  _tickle them until they pass out!”_

And then Kokichi’s hands were back, moving much more furiously than before. They scribbled all over his belly, danced across his back, and squeezed repeatedly at his sides.

No longer having any reason to resist, Shuichi exploded with hysterical laughter.

“GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NOHOHOHOHO!”

When Shuichi wasn’t pulling at his own hair, he pounded his fists against the floor of the attic, shaking his head from side to side in a desperate attempt to distract himself from the tickling. 

Nothing worked, and things only got worse when Shuichi felt what was unmistakably a feather slipping into his navel. 

“NAHAHAHATHAHAHAHAT! P-PLEHEHEHEASE!” Pride quickly became a thing of the past. “STAHAHAHAPLEHEASE!” He couldn’t stand it anymore. 

“Awww, does that tickle a lot? I bet it does,” Kokichi cooed, twirling the feather around mercilessly as Shuichi cackled. “Who knew all it took to get you begging was a fluffy little feather in your bellybutton. Kind of embarrassing for a detective to be this ticklish, don’t you think?”

Shuichi wasn’t sure how much longer Kokichi tormented him after that, losing all sense of time in a haze of ticklish laughter. He was only vaguely aware of when the tickling finally stopped, and then of being pulled out of the hole in the floor. 

Exhaustion claimed him shortly after.

 

* * *

 

When Shuichi awoke, he realized he was still in the attic, except that he’d been tucked into the bed. A quick glance around the room told him that the crumpled papers had all been cleaned up, and only a single card had been left on the desk in their place.

The detective was unsurprised to find that it was a message for him. As he read it, he couldn’t help but smile.

_“Hello, my Darling Detective:_

_I hope you slept well. Sorry that I couldn’t be there to wish you good morning, but you know how it is._

_As you’ve probably deduced, I’ve decided to cut my losses and abandon that place. Looks like you’re back at square one. Don’t worry, though! I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again soon. Until then, I’ll definitely be thinking of you._

_With love,_

_The Phantom Thief of Laughs”_

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are all very much appreciated!
> 
> More tickle fics including this one are available on my tumblr, [tickly-tufts](https://tickly-tufts.tumblr.com/masterlist)!


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